


What's in a name?

by AshCloud5



Series: That I must love a loathed enemy [1]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Namor the Sub-Mariner (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Romeo Must Die AU, Seaprincess, with slight hints of Winterprincess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshCloud5/pseuds/AshCloud5
Summary: After escaping her former bodyguard, Shuri runs into an interesting character
Relationships: Namor the Sub-Mariner/Shuri
Series: That I must love a loathed enemy [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658137
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [wakandawinterprincess](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wakandawinterprincess/gifts), [scotchandwhitelies](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scotchandwhitelies/gifts), [scotchandwhitelies (orphan_account)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/gifts).



Spotting the cab parked on the curb, Shuri scrambled into it.

"Just drive please" she begged the driver.

The driver, a handsome Asian man turned to her "Two words," he held up two fingers "Off. Duty." he said simply.

Shuri frowned "Well you know what-"

"KID!" Bucky yelled. He had finally realised she had made a run for it.

"Two words for you buddy, fifty bucks" she cried, tossing the notes at the front seat.

"PRINCESS! COME ON! DON'T MAKE THIS HARDER ON ME PLEASE!" her old bodyguard begged.

Shuri ducked down, just as Bucky turned towards the cab.

"Please...." she whimpered, looking the driver in the eye through the rear view mirror "Just help me out here" 

The man looked at Bucky from the mirror. Then started the car.

"Who's that?" he nodded towards the mans retreating figure in the reflection.

"No one" the woman whispered.

The honk of an oncoming car brought his attention back to the road.

"Whoa! Hey!" the woman cried as he turned suddenly. It took him a second to realize he was on the wrong side of the road.

"Man! Where did you learn how to drive-" she stopped "Chris?" she finished. Taking note of the blonde haired, blue eyed man on the ID that was definitely not the man driving the car.

"Seoul" he answered simply as he continued down the road.

After a few minutes Shuri asked the man "Aren't you going to start the meter?"

She watched silently as he pushed a button on the meter. It wasn't the right button.

After two more tries the man hits the meter, effectively breaking it.

"It's broken" he replied

Shuri suppressed the urge to smile.

"You steal a lot of cabs back in Seoul?"

"Do you want me to pull over?" he shot back raising an eyebrow at her in the rearview.

"No! No!" she chuckled "Just make a right here"

He nodded and obeyed her.

After a while she spoke "So... Chris" dragging the fake name "Is it true that all the men in Korea have to serve two years in the military?"

"Of course" he answered smiling "State law"

"So you know your way around a gun?"

"Yes. I do"

Shuri smiled "You must be a very dangerous man then"

"Are you scared?" he asked her, glancing at her in the mirror again.

Shuri laughed "Um... No offense Chris but.... I've been around a lot more dangerous men than you"

He smiled at her.

"Pull over here please"

When the car comes to a stop, 'Chris' picks up the notes she threw at him and turns to face her.

"No charge" he says with a smile

"No" Shuri shook her head at him "You can keep it... I won't call the cops"

He shrugs his shoulders "I don't want your money" he says holding the cash out to her.

Shuri smiles again, reaching out to take back the notes.

"You know Chris" she says shaking her head "You seem like a nice guy"

"I am" the man answers with a smile

"Then you should choose a new profession... This whole-" she gestures to the car "Stealing cars bit doesn't fit you"

The man smirks at her then asks "What's your name?"

Shuri raises an eyebrow at him "Do you really think I want you calling me?"

"I don't have a phone" he replied

"Oh! So you do want to call me?" Shuri smirked

"Maybe"

"Well I'm sorry" Shuri says grabbing her things "I try to steer clear of budding criminals"

She makes to get off the car and turns to him one last time.

"And besides" Shuri smirks "You drive like shit" she finishes with a wink before finally getting out.

\------------------------------------------

Namor watched as the woman made her way down the street. He smiled to himself when he saw her turn back to look at him one last time before disappearing into the crowd.

'Wow!' he thought


	2. “He jests at scars that never felt a wound.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Mentions of loss and slight description of panic attacks.

The Mound was an educational outreach centre that was created by Shuri’s mother. Ramonda Udaku was a proud Wakandan woman, after witnessing the effect of the gang wars on the children. She began the afterschool program as a way of keeping the kids off the streets and more focused on their talents, education and cultural heritage. The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on Shuri, her father being one of the local crime bosses and his wife putting the money he made from that very business into a program made to keep kids away from it.

Shuri took over the centre after her mum passed. The centre provided a safe place for kids to be as well as practice for Shuri as she tutored STEM subjects and night classes for older kids who had dropped out of high school.

When Shuri returned from her little shopping trip, Okoye was waiting for her. Okoye was a childhood friend of Shuri’s, she helped Shuri run the place and ruled with an iron fist. Okoye was a no-nonsense woman but beneath the strict exterior, she did nothing but care for the kids.

“Hey! Sorry I’m late” Shuri apologised

Okoye snorted “Knowing the way you shop I would say you are early”

Shuri placed a hand on her heart, feigning hurt. Then Okoye’s face turned serious “T’Challa’s here… He’s in the back”

“Got it, thanks” Shuri nodded before making her way to the back

T’Challa was Shuri’s older brother, to say that their lives took different paths would be an understatement. Both graduating from Berkley but one moving on to a PHD in Computer Science and Engineering, while the other… worked with their father.

As Shuri approached her office, she could hear T’Challa’s voice, he was on the phone, most likely with their father.

“Yeah…. That Prentiss girl… I got a call from her”

“Same night she was killed… yeah”

“I don’t know never found out” he whispered

Shuri pushed open the door and stood staring at her big brother.

“I gotta go, I’ll call you later” he hangs up the phone

“What have I told you about doing business here T’Challa?” Shuri fires

“Forgot. I was in a hurry”

“I mean it T’Challa!”

“Gee baby sis… it’s nice to see you too” T’Challa says sarcastically

“Seriously _ubhuti_? I’ve got kids hanging here at all hours! If you’re going to be like this-“

“Don’t start the speech Shuri! Ok? For once can we not go there?” T’Challa fumed

Shuri took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

“It’s just… I worry about you T’Challa” Shuri admitted “I don’t like seeing you involved in all this shit!”

“He’s our father, you can’t just spend the rest of your life pretending he’s not!”

“He’s also a gangster! Drugs, arms, and Bast knows what else!” she added, her voice dropping to a whisper as she continued “The same kids that come through my halls have lost so much to our father and his work! Why do you think I’ve kept this place up since Umama died? I want them to see that there’s another way! A better way”

“And you’re doing great _usisi omncinci_.... But I’m not one of your kids” T’Challa stated

“Whatever” Shuri said rolling her eyes “But seriously! Why do you keep using my goddamn landline! It’s 2020, use your damn mobile!”

“I like to put people on hold and watch the line blink” T’Challa joked

“Then get your own!” Shuri declared, shaking her head at her big brother.

T’Challa laughs and walks toward the door before turning to go down the corridor he turns to her one last time

“I mean this thing to protect him Shuri.... and you too” he admitted “I’m tryna keep him from geting thrown in jail or murdered, I can’t keep out of this because what if I know things he doesn’t?”

“Right or wrong” He sighed “This is about family.... our family and I’m just tryna keep everybody safe......I’m the Black Panther after all” he finished with a small smile

Shuri smiled at the mention of their mother’s nickname for T’Challa. It was taken from a fairy tale their mother used to tell them, the Black Panther. The warrior and protector of their village. Ramonda had given him the name when he announced to everyone that he would fight anyone who came near Shuri, on the first night they brought her home.

“Stay safe _ubhuti_ ” Shuri whispered

“Always” he winked.

Then finally he left. Leaving Shuri to wonder what the hell her family had gotten themselves into now.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Namor had finally reached the address in his cousin’s letter. He makes his way up to her apartment. It’s locked. He pulls out the small power drill he picked up earlier and…. Voila, unlocked.

He pushes into his cousin’s apartment. The modern styled open plan apartment was quite big. A clear testament to the amount of money she had made in America, he drifts in with the reverence of a churchgoer, silently drinking in Nita’s belongings. He huffs a sigh then sets to work. Namor rifles through desk drawers, medicine cabinets and closets in order to find anything, any clue as to why she was killed. He doesn’t find anything.

On the walls of the apartment he comes across a picture of the two of them. The pair laughing, Namor in his military uniform and Nita on his back, her arms draped over his shoulders as she hugs him from behind.

The weight of losing his cousin and namesake pushes in. He feels as if something is lodged in his throat as he recalls the day that picture was taken. The walls of the huge apartment seem to close in as he hears her laughing. It’s getting harder to breathe now.

Namor sinks to the floor, he tries to fight the lack of air. He counts backwards in his head, when that doesn’t work, he begins listing the things he sees around him.

The couch, the throw pillows, the coffee table, magazines, an ashtray, the kitchen counter, the landline phone…… The landline!

When he’s calmed down enough, he rises from the floor and makes a bee line for the landline. He hits the redial button and pauses waiting for the receiver.

“Hello, this is The Mound educational centre, Okoye speaking”

Namor hangs up, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Why would his cousin be calling an educational centre? The possibilities ran through his head, but none made sense.

Namor picked up his bag and headed to the bathroom. It was a long day and he needed to clean up and rest before getting to the bottom of this.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shuri sits at an Italian restaurant, her pasta growing cooler as she contemplates the events of the day. She knows Bucky and Sam are sitting by the bar, but she does her best to ignore her ex bodyguard and his partner. She has bigger things to think about than him anyways.

She’s dragged out of her thought when, the chair opposite her is dragged out and someone takes a seat. It’s M’baku, her father’s lieutenant and one of the few people Shuri hates.

“So what’s good here, Princess?” he asked

Shuri held back her wince, Bucky’s nickname for her sounding like nails on a chalkboard, coming from the man opposite her.

“Try the parking lot,”

M’baku isn’t fazed as he continued, “Now come on baby girl, I’m just doing my job…. Just like _ingcuka_ over there!”

Shuri stiffens both at the use of her nickname for him and at the fact that Bucky ratted her out.

“Yes,” M’baku began, fiddling with a salad fork “He told me about what you pulled today,”

“For someone so smart Shuri, that was some stupid shit.” he finished, staring her down “Things have been tense, since that Prentiss chick got taken out,”

“Was that one of your jobs too?”

M’baku chuckles “Now come on you know lynching ain’t my style,”

“Aww… Poor baby, have I got you all wrong?”

“You don’t have any idea what I’m about do you?”

“Why don’t you tell me then?” Shuri hummed

“Well-“ he gestured to himself “For starters you need to get past the façade”

“Oh! You’ve got some serious façade going on” Shuri stated, the sarcasm in her voice clear now.

“So do you so does everybody” he said, leaning closer “This little Miss I-Don’t-Need-Nobody, isn’t you… Not the real you anyway. Saving yourself for that special someone, who we both know is never gonna man up, is just a waste of a woman…”

Shuri tried not to wince, she leaned back into her chair folding her arm, “Is that what you think I’m doing?” she challenged.

“I think its time you looked at more suitable options”

Shuri chuckled “You’re my father’s lackey M’baku”-she leant forward- “You’re nothing”

M’baku’s face changes, his jovial mask slipping for a split second “Fair enough, but there comes a time when a man has to strike out on his own… Stake his own claim”

“How could I have missed it?” Shuri gasped “I’m hopelessly in love with you”

“Trash talk me all you like”-he reaches over and grabs her hand, from the corner of her eye she could have sworn she saw Bucky stiffen at the action- “But sooner or later this man is gonna be too much for you….. and those big brown eyes are gonna get all misty wishing there were two of me”

M’baku releases his hold on her and Shuri shoves her plate towards him.

“Don’t bother looking at the menu, you can have mine because I’ve suddenly lost my appetite,”

He grabs her arm again “No more running wild! You’re going to do as T’Chaka says and let us protect you”

Bucky was on his feet now and heading towards them. Then Shuri picks up a steak knife and holds it to M’baku’s arm.

“Get your damn hands off me before I stab this thing into your brachial artery” Shuri threatened

M’baku releases her and she leaves. After a nod from Bucky, Sam follows her.

“Brachial artery?” M’baku muttered

“It’s an artery in your elbow joint, if severed it can cause a person to bleed out in five to sixty minutes” Bucky responded

“I take it you are the one that taught her that?”

Bucky nodded his head in a mock bow, “In case assholes ever got too handsy” the former soldier informed

“How about you be a good dog and go do your damn job?”

“I don’t take orders from you M’baku, I work for the Udaku’s, and in that spirit….” Bucky straightens and stares down the other man, “If you lay a hand on her again, I’ll gut you”

“Watch it, _ingcuka_ ,” M’baku threatened, glaring down the shorter man, who stiffened at the nickname, “You ain’t the only one that knows some shit!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> ingcuka- wolf   
> ubhuti- brother  
> usisi omncinci- little sister


End file.
